Fade to White
by ii-Phoenix-ii
Summary: When an old man who made it his business to dig up people's dirty little secrets is found murdered, the suspect list is a mile long. Mikasa and her friends suspect the new student and his odd family, not comprehending the magnitude of the secret kept tightly under wraps by the new residents of the town's infamous and cursed Blackthorne Manor. [Modern AU]
1. Unexpected Meeting

**Chapter 1: Unexpected Meeting**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Summary** : When an old man who made it his business to dig up people's dirty little secrets is found murdered, the suspect pool is a mile long. Mikasa and her friends suspect the new student and his odd family, not comprehending the magnitude of the secret kept tightly under wraps by the new residents of the town's infamous and cursed Blackthorne Manor. [Modern AU]

* * *

Mikasa Ackerman was hungry. No, scratch that, she was starving. It was the first day back to school and she'd prepared everything beforehand, backpack, clothes, schedule on desk, phone charged, everything. _Except the stupid alarm clock_.

The previous day, while vacuuming her room, she'd accidentally unplugged the clock's wire. The other outlet was busy juicing her laptop, and she was too lazy to go across the room to the second outlet. In her haste to reset the time, she'd left the setting wrong, 4:47 am instead of pm. Now it had come to bite her in the ass. _I'm so stupid!_ The clock hadn't gone off since the setting stated it was seven pm not am.

Scanning the crowd of teens, she searched for the familiar ponytail. Sasha. Which meant food. Mikasa snorted to herself. Trust her best friend to always have a snack. She was dressed similar to her friend in jeans, sneakers, and a simple top, orange instead of green. As predicted, the smiling girl weaved between the gaggle of students and Mikasa's eyes immediately locked in on the item in her hands. Her stomach growled as the scent hit her.

"Hey!" Sasha chirped, standing before her. "First day of junior year. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded distractedly. Then blurted, "Can I have that? I was running late and I missed breakfast."

"Sure," she held out the most delicious looking burrito Mikasa had ever seen. Sasha pulled out a fruit roll-up while Mikasa wolfed down the burrito. It was gone within a minute.

She took a sip from her water bottle, "Thanks."

The warning bell rang. "Let's go." Sasha pulled out her schedule. "We have Algebra II right now."

"Having math first period should be against the law." Connie fell in step with them, dodging the rushing students in the hallway. "I mean, it's hard enough as it is, but at the start of the day? It's like they want us to fail," he complained.

"Guys! Over here!"

The trio quickly moved towards the short blond-haired teen, easily spotted thanks to his much taller companion. "Armin, Jean," Mikasa nodded, receiving a nod in return.

"Hey guys!"

"What's up?"

"So, first day of school, are you excited?" Armin asked.

"I'm excited for lunch," Connie answered.

"Typical," Jean rolled his eyes. "Let's hurry up and find seats." The five of them had been lucky enough to have the class together and did not want to be separated because they were too slow to grab seats. Unsurprisingly, the back half of the classroom was already filled up. They didn't mind, settling in the front of the two rows closest to the door.

Introductions were made by the teacher, followed by a short getting-to-know-each-other exercise, and the syllabus being handed out. The routine was the same for every class that followed, except for PE where they split into four groups to play a game to learn everyone's names. When the final bell rang, Mikasa couldn't decide if time had gone by too quickly or too slowly.

"It wasn't so bad," Sasha said.

"It's only the first day. We haven't started," Connie wrinkled his nose as if he smelled something bad, " _learning_ anything yet."

"Someone of us enjoy learning new things," Armin said.

"Yeah, but c'mon, be honest, when will we ever use A squared plus B squared equals C squared in real, every day life?"

"So you _did_ learn something," Armin smiled. By now he knew better than to get into to it with his friend, debating the usefulness of high school math.

Mikasa noticed the colorful flyers taped to the walls. "Are you guys joining any clubs this year. It looks really good on college applications." The previous year she'd done baseball with Sasha. "I was thinking of doing something new. You know, diversify and all that."

"You've already started thinking about college applications, huh?" Jean adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Meanwhile I still have no idea what I want to do or where I want to go," he sighed.

"I was going to join the chess club again, but I think you've got a point," Armin spoke.

"I still want to do soccer," Connie declared.

"Maybe we should join one club together," Jean suggested.

"We already tried that last year, remember? It didn't work out," Sasha said skeptically. They'd been unable to decide on one thing they all liked to do together. Since they already went to the movies almost every week, the movie club was out.

"We could form our own club," Armin said.

"Sounds like a good idea, but what will we do?" Mikasa asked.

Outside, the sun shone brightly and the wind blew gently. "I can drop you guys off," Jean offered happily. Over the summer, he'd saved up enough money for his parents to deem him responsible and helped him purchase a blue SUV, used but in tip-top condition, Jean's pride and joy. Having only made the purchase the week before, he'd only had the chance to drive his friends around twice.

"The weather's really nice and I kind of want to take a walk," Mikasa said, and he tried to hide his disappointment. "Thanks though, I'll probably take you up on the offer tomorrow." Cheered up, he smiled brightly and lead the rest of the group towards the parking lot, warning Connie not to spill anything in his baby. She waved them goodbye and moved on.

Her house was a bit of a walk from the high school but she was in the mood for a lazy stroll and decided to take the scenic route. A few minutes later, she was passing the local library and, eventually, the stores selling clothes, shoes, hardware, jewelry, plants, and many, many restaurants and fast food chains. Soon she hit the residential area and ten minutes later, reached her cream-colored two story house.

Snatching the mail, she walked past the small garden and stood under the arch way, pulling out her keys and unlocking the front door. " _Ohayo_ ," she exchanged her shoes for house slippers.

" _Tadaima_ ," her mother's voice came from the kitchen.

Mikasa's stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten in hours. Her eyes sparkled at the plate. "I was home today so I thought I'd make you some castella," her mother said, "I thought you'd be hungry. So, how was school?" She asked while Mikasa attacked the snack.

"Alright. I mean, it's only the first day."

"I'm going to the store to pick up some ingredients for dinner. Do you want anything?"

Mikasa hastily swallowed and said, "I'm okay." After finishing the food, she cleaned the plate and headed up the stairs to her room. She wasn't surprised to see a video call request on her laptop. Accepting it, she settled on her bed and watched Sasha's face fill up the screen.

* * *

Granola bar in mouth, Mikasa quickly locked the door and ran towards the car. She was surprised to see the passenger seat empty—three times in a row, even though she was the last to be picked up—and quickly climbed in. "Hey," she greeted. Four voices replied in return.

"Do you know the answer to the seventh question for history?" Connie asked. "I couldn't find it anywhere! You're supposed to find the answers in chronological order but I read the section that came after question six and before eight so many times I practically memorized it!"

"Hold on." She pulled out a green folder and handed him the paper.

"Why didn't you just Google it?" Jean asked.

"Because," Mikasa answered, "we have to write down the page number where we got the answer. The teacher really wants to drive the reference thing in. And I suspect he doesn't want us to take the easy way."

The students settled in their seats once the bell rang and the teacher spoke. Mikasa began taking her things out and waiting for her name to be called. As soon as the teacher was done with roll call, the door opened. Twenty-eight pairs of eyes snapped to the newcomer.

Mikasa guessed he was around 5'9" wearing sneakers, jeans, a blue and white shirt under an open dark grey jacket. Her first thought was that he had accidentally entered the wrong classroom. Then the dark head turned momentarily to the students and she got a glimpse of his face. Angular jaw and green eyes unlike anything she'd ever seen glanced around the room before landing on the teacher.

"Ah yes, class," their teacher addressed them, "meet our new student." She turned to the teen, gesturing him to speak.

"Evan," he nodded. "Evan Vicchelo."

For some reason, Mikasa had a strange feeling the name sounded foreign on his tongue. It didn't...roll off like it should. Like it was something he'd rehearsed. _Of course it sounds rehearsed. Wouldn't you practice introducing yourself?_ Shaking off the silly notion the new guy was a stranger to his own name, she listened carefully.

"...just moved here, he's new to town so make him feel welcome." Whispers broke out as she waved him over to hand him the syllabus and other papers. "Why don't you go find a seat?"

Mikasa expected him to move towards the empty chair near the back, on the opposite side of the room. By the window. And the group of beautiful girls no doubt touching up their hair and smiling flirtatiously at him. Instead, he started walking towards her. Her heart began beating erratically. She let out a soft breath as he sank gracefully in the seat before her, closest to the door.

Swallowing, she allowed her heart to return to its regular pattern. Mikasa's brain ruled her, not her heart. But that didn't mean her hormones didn't act up from time to time. Evan was handsome. And he smelled amazing. She felt no shame in admitting she found him attractive. Who wouldn't? The lesson began and she turned her attention to the teacher. One didn't get straight A's by spacing out in class.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, she gathered her things and waited for her friends. Armin and Connie looked contemplative, Jean unhappy, and Sasha had a wide grin on her face. "You like him!"

Mikasa's head whipped to the empty seat for a second, and she relaxed. "Who?"

"Evan, duh." Her facial expression clearly said she hadn't missed Mikasa obviously checking Evan's seat to make sure the teen in question wasn't present. "I saw you staring at him."

Rolling her eyes, she threw her backpack over one shoulder, "Is he handsome? Yes, I'm not blind. But that doesn't mean I want to date him. I know next to nothing about him. He could be a serial killer for all I know." Wanting a guy based solely on his looks? Absolutely not. "Besides, university is two years away. I have more important things to focus on."

"See? Don't be ridiculous Sasha," Jean shook his head.

"But I already imagined your children! You'd make such beautiful babies!"

"If you think he's hot, you can have him."

Evan wasn't just another pretty face. He was easily a talented athlete as well. Mikasa almost laughed at the stars shining in the coach's eyes. Without a doubt, the coach wanted him to join the basket ball team.

"I can't stand that guy."

Jean, who seemed to have developed some rather...negative feelings towards Evan in the single week he'd been there, glared. Connie swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes and followed his gaze a couple of tables over. "Why? I've talked to him a few times. He seems okay to me."

"Seriously? He always acts so high and mighty. Like he's too good for everyone. Trying to be cool and acting like he just wants to be somewhere else."

"I think that last part applies to most of the school's student body," Armin pointed out.

"Yeah, like I said, high and mighty. I just—"

"You guys want to watch a movie tomorrow?" Sasha interrupted, not in the mood to listen to Jean go off on yet another tangent about the school's hottest piece of gossip.

"Is there anything good out?" Mikasa asked.

"There's a new zombie movie out. You can never have too many zombie movies," Connie said. "It's got the fast ones."

"Great idea! We need to expand our knowledge for the impending zombie apocalypse." Sasha looked into her empty pudding cup and tried to steal Mikasa's.

"I'm okay with that." Mikasa slapped her hand away. "Not that."

"I'm in."

"Sounds good."

* * *

The first glorious weekend of the new school year. Teens flooded the mall, walking in groups, phones in hands, ducking in and out of stores. "We should get a boat," Connie suggested. "I'm sure if the five of us saved up money together, we could buy one. And fishing equipment."

"And learn how to make sugar," Sasha crumpled up the candy wrapper and tossed it in the trash. "And salt too."

"You're all crazy," Jean rolled his eyes.

"They would add some positivity to our otherwise miserable lives. And they'd be great for trade, too," Armin pointed out.

"It's fun pretending and all and being preparing for it, but let's keep in mind that zombies aren't real."

"There's a gun range close by, my uncle's a member. We can go there," Mikasa added.

"You too?" Jean shook his head. "Don't feed their fantasies," he groaned. "There's _never_ going to be a zombie apocalypse. It's just not possible. You—why are you looking at me like that?"

Connie groaned. "He's done it now."

"I've done what?" He asked irritably.

"You're cursed Kirstein," Sasha shivered. "Every time you say stuff like _never_ or _always_ , you jinx it."

"What?" His eyebrows shot up. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Remember when summer began and we made plans to go to the beach? The forecast predicted a rain shower and you were convinced the weatherman was an idiot—"

"Because he is. The weather report isn't always right."

"Well it was certainly right that time," Armin said. "It was nice for about twenty minutes and then we got soaked in a cold shower."

"And when we were buying candy for Halloween for my parents to pass out to the trick-or-treaters," Mikasa said. "You were in such a hurry and insisted it was enough. And how 'there's _always_ candy leftover.' And then what happened? We ran dry within the hour and our house got TeePee-ed."

"And the time you said Gonzalez _never_ gives pop quizzes."

"And when you said your neighbor's dog is _always_ kept inside and made me get the ball. I still can't see a Chihuahua without heart palpitations because of that demon."

"There's also that time—"

"Okay, okay, jeez. What, do you guys keep a list or something?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Duh."

"It's on my phone if you want to see it," Sasha offered. Jean grumbled the entire drive back.

"Hey honey, how was the movie?" Her father asked, glancing up from the TV.

"Pretty good." She checked her phone. "I'm gonna change and go out for my run."

"Alright. But be careful," her mother said.

"I know. You say that every time." In her room, she changed into sweats and a long sleeved shirt before grabbing her blue music player. The days were shortening with the sun setting earlier. Headphones in ears, she began jogging.

Modest, two-story houses with grassy lawns, trees, and flower bushes sat across and next to one another with a wide open road in between, some had cars parked by the curbs and some were hidden in the garage. It was a middle class area mostly occupied by families.

She passed her favorite tree, a drooping willow in the front yard of a pale yellow house, and continued down the street and ran past the road that lead to a small playground with children screaming and laughing while parents and nannies kept watch. Her nose wrinkled when she spotted the dark brown house and hurried by it.

Everyone knew who lived there: Old Man Wald.

No one knew his last name. Or if that was his last name. But they knew him by his other names.

The Gnat.

Mosquito Man.

The Grinch.

Three of many titles for one extremely nosy old coot with too much time on his hands and a powerful digital camera. He hated children, teenagers, puppies, kittens, birds, flowers, hippies, the color yellow, holidays and just about anything positive. He made it his business to air people's dirty laundry.

Wald was the most despised man in town.

Mikasa had once spotted him at his mailbox, packed, no doubt with death threats, and she could swear he almost seemed pleased by the large number of hateful responses. No one knew why he was such a mean-spirited jerk. Or how he managed to take compromising photos of his victims. Despite his girth, he moved like a cat.

Going her usual route, she found herself running by the cemetery. Mindful of the long shadows caused by the big yellow ball in the sky now dipping into the horizon, she decided she'd just enough time to pay her respects to her grandparents' graves before going home. The cemetery lay near the edge of their community, bordered by a forest. A few miles out was a fence that ran around private property. Including the most famous piece of real estate in town: The Blackthorne Manor.

Like all the children raised in their small corner of the world, she had grown up hearing tales of the haunted house that had once housed the Blackthorne family. Legend had it, they had fled England to avoid persecution—some claimed the charges were for witchcraft while others believed they were vampires—and settled in a fledging town.

According to rumors, one night, a bloody massacre had wiped out most of the family. The sole survivor had been too traumatized to ever speak again and moved away. The authorities had claimed the carnage had to be caused by some _thing_.

Mikasa thought the whole thing was a steaming pile of bullshit.

An exaggerated tale created by people with hyper imagination and too much free time.

Considering the kinds of things people used to believe back then, she wasn't at all surprised.

There was absolutely zero proof of any of that. But some people got real offended when she pointed out that the manor was built just a few decades back while the witch trials were held centuries ago. And there weren't any records of suspicious deaths—only an elderly caretaker with one foot already in the grave suffering a heart attack. His children kept the place in great condition, if Sasha's cousin's mom, the real estate agent, was to be believed.

Besides, Mikasa had seen some of the photos of the interior. It looked like something out of a designer homes magazine. But hey, if people wanted to blindly believe the Blackthorne Manor was cursed and housed deadly secrets of its previous supernatural residents, who was she to stand in their way?

She made her way towards her grandparents' gravestones and talked for a bit. Mikasa found it rather cathartic to verbally speak about worries and annoyances that weighed her down. It always made her feel better, lighter, afterwards. Standing up, she was about to head towards the gate when she noticed a flash in her peripheral vision amongst the green of the forest.

Curious, she went to investigate. Much to her shock, she spotted Evan, accompanied by a large animal, which she at first thought was a wolf, then realized it was a Siberian Husky. He was probably taking the dog out for a walk. Evan was kneeling before his large pet, a chiding look on his face. "You know you're on a strict diet, it's for your own good."

The canine's head tilted.

"Making cute faces won't work on me, girl."

She let out a soft whine.

Evan nodded, "Now, Luna, be a good girl."

She stared at him with her pretty blue eyes.

"You know I can't."

Mikasa could literally see his resolve crumbling. It was...endearing. There was something very attractive about a man being all cute with pets—and children—without any macho bullcrap.

Luna dipped her head a little and whined again. Evan sighed, then carefully pulled out a doggy treat and unwrapped it. "Just this once, okay? It'll be our little secret."

 _I can't believe he broke_. Mikasa smiled, recalling the crazy rumors. "Yeah, he's a real vampire..." Just then a draft came by, carrying her voice.

Evan's head snapped up. Mikasa froze, unable to tear her gaze away from the piercing green eyes locked on her. He stood, face closed off. She could see the gears turning in his head. Before she could speak, anger overtook his features, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was just at the cemetery and I—"

Disgust replaced anger, "For the last time, I am not some blood-sucking loser from one of your sick little fantasies!"

What?

"And no, I will not bite you or fuck you because you want to be some undead freak!"

Blood-sucking loser? Bite her? Did he think she was under some delusion he was a vampire? "Oh! No! I only—"

"Keep the hell away from me you creepy necrophilic!" Evan glared heatedly. "You psycho emo bitches need to get a fucking life. Because I _will_ get a restraining order. Or maybe I'll sick _her_ on you."

Mikasa took a step back as the terrifying, way too wolf-like dog growled menacingly.

With that, Evan turned and stormed off, leaving a shell-shocked Mikasa behind.

* * *

 **I)** Wald is a character in the anime, the Nobleman playing Chess with Pixis. I prefer using actual characters from the original story, if possible, before creating an OC. And his name reminded me of Walder Frey from _Game of Thrones_.

 **II)** Yes, Evan is Eren.

 ** _Please Review~_**


	2. Club

**Chapter 2: Club**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Mikasa and her friends start their first day of junior year. A new student joins a week late. She and her friends watch a movie. Evan thinks Mikasa is a creep and yells at her.

* * *

"Me! A necrophiliac! Me!" Mikasa paced around her bedroom like a caged tiger. Sasha was lying on the bed, legs in the air, face in her hands with eyes wide, watching the agitated girl go back-and-forth. "I wasn't stalking him! I was at the cemetery to pay respects. You know that!"

"Uh-huh," she bobbed her head up and down. "Your grandparents."

"Exactly!"

"In his defense, he didn't know that. From what you've told me, he must be approached by girls who're into stuff like that. The ones who believe the silly legends."

"But I'm not!"

"No, you're not. And he shouldn't have jumped the gun."

"Yes!" Mikasa nodded furiously. "What an asshole!"

"Still, you did sneak up on him—which shouldn't be possibly if he had powers and stuff—in a forest. And you were apparently staring. Who wouldn't be freaked out by that?"

"I wasn't staring." She folded her arms defensively. "I just saw something and went to check it out." Okay, so maybe, technically, she was staring. _No. I was investigating_.

"Well, it was an honest misunderstanding. I'm sure if you explain it calmly he'll understand."

"No. I'm never talking to him."

"Don't you two have classes together?"

"So?"

"So, are you going to avoid him for the rest of the year?"

"I don't see why not," Mikasa said.

"Because leaving it as it is will make it worse. Do you want him thinking you're a creep?"

"He won't listen."

"Then that's his problem," Sasha shrugged. "You can be mature and approach him and explain what happened. Whether or not he listens and understands is up to him. That's it."

"I guess I can do that."

Internally, Sasha cheered. It was such an interesting tale to tell one's children. _'You know kids, the first time I met your mother, she ambushed me in a forest and I nearly set my hound on her.'_ And she really didn't want the guy having such a low opinion of her friend. In the end it wasn't all that important. But if there was a chance to rectify the mistake and make everyone happy, why not at least give it a shot?

* * *

And that was how the following morning found them walking into the courtyard. They were heading towards the bench near the fountain where they'd heard Evan liked to have lunch. Most of the time he preferred eating in peace and quiet, but that didn't mean the occasional classmate that joined was turned away. He was happy enough chatting with them.

But he did tend to remember an assignment or something of the like and ditch if a gaggle of girls swarmed him with their face cake and cloud of perfume.

For once, it seemed they'd decided to leave him be. The two girls spotted him coming from the opposite side. He stopped abruptly when he noticed them. Sasha waved, "Hi Evan!" He nodded, approaching slowly. "Okay, I'll make an excuse and leave you two alone to talk and make sure no one interrupts."

"Um, Sasha?"

"Yeah?"

"He went into the cafeteria."

Sasha turned in time to see the large green door begin to shut behind him. "He decides today of all days to eat in, of course. No worries, we still have the rest of the day."

Mikasa wasn't so sure. She couldn't help feeling she was being ignored. If he thought she was some obsessive fangirl, it'd make sense he'd keep his distance. Not give her any hope or feed into her weird fantasy. If someone was crazy enough to approach him thinking he was a vampire—clearly someone did, based on his outburst on Saturday—it wouldn't be far-fetched to believe she'd twist any interactions they had to fit her delusions.

Mikasa's guess was proven correct. He really did ignore her. It was the same the next day as well. She had turned after sharpening her pencil and found him frozen. Quickly, he'd asked the person closest to him for a pencil sharpener, unwilling to even touch the classroom's since she'd just used it. By the third day, she was tired. _It's ridiculous_.

"You're giving up?" Sasha pouted.

"It's annoying, but I'm not wasting time and energy into chasing the guy down and trying to explain myself. It only makes me look worse."

Sasha continued to sulk but Mikasa was done. Despite her best friend's grumbling, she successfully avoided Evan for the next few weeks.

* * *

It came as a surprise when Evan approached her during chemistry, offering to be her lab partner. Suspicious, she agreed. Their newest lab experiment was one she was really looking forward to. _Who wouldn't like to create candy?_ She snapped out of her thoughts when he cleared his throat. "Yes?"

"I asked if you wanted to move over there," he gestured to his seat. "There's no space for me here."

"Oh. Okay." Mikasa grabbed her things and joined him. She picked up the instructions, "We'll quickly go over the pre-lab discussion and decide who'll do what and—"

"I'm sorry."

"What?" That was the last thing she expected to come out of his mouth.

"For blowing up at you. That day." Evan grimaced. "You wouldn't believe how many freaks I get. Trying to befriend me because apparently I have a mysterious vibe and live in some stupid house. When I saw you staring, dressed all in black, telling me you were hanging out at the cemetery, I thought you were one of those people," he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"It's fine," she shrugged. She'd pretty much put it behind her already.

"From what people said about you, I realized my mistake. I would have apologized earlier but I wasn't entirely sure how to approach you."

She had a idea of what exactly students might have said about her. She was asked out often, she wasn't an idiot and she owned a mirror, but she had more important things to focus on.

"I've been told I should be more sociable if I don't want people making up weird rumors about me."

Mikasa nodded. "Right, well," she looked down at the paper.

"Let's get started," Evan sat up straighter.

After finishing the discussion, they followed the teacher into the adjacent room, the lab, and moved to an unoccupied station. Mikasa ignored the jealous looks a few girls shot her. Making sure they had all the equipment and safety gear, they began.

"Add 125 ml of water to the beaker."

"Done," Evan said. "What next?"

"Turn on the benson burner, and then we add the sugar."

The instructions were simple and easy to follow and the two quickly fell into a smooth rhythm. Class soon ended and they parted ways with a 'see you later' and a polite nod. Sasha was eyeing her dangerously when she entered the classroom. Mikasa had a feeling she knew why. Pausing briefly, she looked around the room—the desks were arranged to form a rectangle—trying to find an empty seat. No such luck. Sasha pounced the moment Mikasa's butt touched the chair.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you and Evan are lab partners for the rest of the year?"

"Unlike your teacher, mine said we have to work with at least five different people. So no, he was my partner for this experiment only." She calmly took out her first draft and a red pen. They were doing peer edits and she'd come prepared.

"C'mon Mikasa, are you going to make me beg? Spill!"

"What do you mean?" She purposely ignored the obvious.

"Details! I want details."

"We started by boiling water, then we added sugar and made sure all the crystals dissolved—"

"No!"

"If you want specific details, I can give you a copy of the instructions. I know you love candy and it'll be cool knowing how to make it."

That comment distracted Sasha long enough for the teacher to begin taking attendance.

Mikasa wasn't so lucky after school.

"He's the most sought out guy in our year. Now that you two have gotten over the misunderstanding, you should ask him out before someone snatches him up."

"Sasha—"

"You two have _chemistry_ ," she snickered at her own pun, "and you enjoy making candy together."

"What about candy?" Connie walked up to them. "I heard something about candy."

Sasha opened her mouth but Mikasa interrupted, "Nothing. Just girl stuff. Cravings and all that."

"We can stop by a store if you want," Jean said eagerly.

"It's alright, we have some at home."

They quickly fell in step, walking towards Jean's car.

"Have you guys decided if you're joining any teams?" She had already done soccer for the past two years and baseball in middle school. Now she wondered if she should try out for basketball. But junior year was the most important academic wise. She wasn't sure if she should opt out of any commitment heavy teams and go for clubs that met once a week or so. Or maybe not join anything at all.

"I've been thinking about that," Armin said. "About creating our own club, something all five of us can do. I mean there's a chance someone might want to join up but that's okay."

"Considering most of the clubs—outside the typical sports teams, charity groups, and academic related clubs—are created by a group of friends who want to hang out and make it an official kind of thing, I think we'll be fine."

"Jean's right," Connie nodded. "I mean we actually have a club devoted to horses."

"What should our club be?" Jean asked.

"We have to figure that out by Friday. I have the papers, once we make up our minds, I can fill it up and turn it into Mr. Morrison and get our own room."

"How about we brainstorm a few ideas tonight and vote on the ones we like best and narrow it from there?" Mikasa suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sasha smiled.

* * *

Mikasa tried not to stomp like a five-year-old. _Finally_. Annoyed at herself for leaving her math textbook in her locker, she yanked the large door open, using too much force. She knew she had just made it time, knowing the doors would be locked in five minutes. She grabbed her textbook from her locker and tried to ignore the extra weight. Cursing came from around the corner, echoing down the long hallway. Mikasa could hear the person yanking the main doors. She checked her watch. _Yup, they should be locked_.

"Hey," the girl waved when Mikasa turned the corner. "Can you open this?"

"Did you leave something behind too?"

"Uh yeah, thanks!"

Mikasa nodded and continued on her way. Halfway through the school parking lot, she froze and nearly slapped her forehead in frustration. Distracted by the cursing, she had forgotten her phone in the locker. To her luck, the janitor was taking a smoke break. Mikasa politely asked if she could be let in. _Thank goodness_. She smiled and said her thanks.

A crash startled her. She followed the noise, masculine voices, into a long corridor with three doors on the left. She could hear voices coming from the boys locker room. Hearing Keith's voice yelling, she quickly identified the culprit. Without thinking, Mikasa entered the girls locker room, leaving the door cracked open a centimeter. Seconds later, Evan stormed by, throwing the metal door open with such force it banged like a gunshot against the wall. She heard footsteps and kept quiet, watching as Keith went after the boy.

She checked the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. Keith must have ordered the boys to stay put because no one dared peek to see where they had gone. Normally Mikasa would have kept her nose out of trouble but this was Evan. The only time she had ever seen him be anything other than reserved was their first meeting when he'd yelled at her. Evan, who all the girls fawned over for being a total gentleman.

Mikasa's feet were leading her after the two before her brain could process what was happening. She heard Keith's voice and quietly followed it to where the basket ball coach had pulled the boy aside for privacy, intending to see this through.

* * *

Halfway home, she was startled by loud sirens. To her surprise, three police cruisers raced by. _I wonder what that's about?_ She watched them turn right down the street, the direction she was heading. Mikasa sped up, curious. Her eyes widened when she saw where the three police cars and a paramedics van were parked carelessly. A group of people watched from across the street, looking curious and some actually amused.

They began quickly talking and she looked back at the ugly brown house. _No way_. The paramedics were wheeling out a gurney. The body was covered, which only meant one thing. _He's dead_. People around her talked furiously.

"Can you believe it?"

"Serves him right."

"Now I know there's some sort of deity up there."

"What do you think happened?"

"The old fucker finally got what he deserves."

"What a relief!"

Mikasa had it on good authority Old man Wald was a racist, homophonic, and chauvinistic pig, but being so blatantly happy and excited just yards from the dead body seemed wrong somehow and she quickly moved on. Sasha had sent her a barrage of texts by the time she got home, asking if she had heard that Wald was murdered. News traveled fast in her town. Especially murder. Or at least that's what Sasha was claiming it to be. From what she'd seen outside the man's house and heard of his reputation, she couldn't say it was surprising.

It was the breaking news that evening.

"That's terrible," Mrs. Ackerman shook her head.

"He was an awful person."

"That still doesn't mean you should throw a party the same day he was murdered," Mr. Ackerman said in disapproval.

Mikasa was sure the partying started before the body was even cold and stiff.

"Turn it off please," her mother requested. "We'll not watch and enjoy such a thing before we eat."

The TV was off but her mind continued to race.

And just like that, she had an idea for their group club.

* * *

The following morning, the student body was abuzz with news of Old Man Wald's death. _No, his murder_. Mikasa corrected. Death was big and juicy, but murder was bigger and juicer.

"They released an official statement saying it really was murder and an investigation is underway," Sasha said.

"Can't say I envy the cops," Connie said, mouth full.

"Forget trying to make a list of people who wanted him dead, it'd be much easier coming up with a list of those who didn't want him dead and removing them from the rest of the town's population," Jean added.

"Okay, I've been thinking," Armin finally spoke, "from what I've seen, you guys are interested in Old Man Wald's murder too. But there's a slight problem."

"If this is about creating a detectives club, I think they already beat us to it," Jean jerked his thumb behind him to a group of teens a few tables away.

"Or a supernatural one," Sasha said. "Somebody's already got that covered."

"Yeah, I thought that might be the case," Armin said.

"I've been thinking about this too," Mikasa said. "Like Armin, I also figured we wouldn't be the first. And no one would take us seriously if went all Scooby and the gang. Now, Old Man Wald's house is very old and passed down from generation to generation. It's an important part of the town's history."

"I see!" Armin's eyes lit up, understanding where she was going.

"We could make a historical group or whatever—the name's not important. Basically we'd go around touring famous historical spots in town and writing about their, well, history, telling their stories."

"We could make a website," Connie said. "Add sources and citations at the bottom and all that."

"Yeah, then it'd be totally legit," Sasha nodded. "And it'd look good on a college application." She gave her best friend a pointed look.

"That's what I was thinking," Mikasa said.

"We should start out doing actual work before moving to Old Man Wald's house," Armin said. "It'll look less suspicious that way."

They quickly fell into a discussion about the group's name when Armin pulled out the contract. Mikasa wasn't as interested and spent more time listening than contributing. A familiar scent filled her nose and waited a few seconds before casually looking around. Evan was walking away. She hadn't told anyone about his heated argument with Keith. It had been weeks ago and she didn't see the point in brining it up and causing drama.

From her eavesdropping, her mind had immediately jumped to a conclusion. As a result, she'd spent a lot of time keeping a close eye on Even's behavior, checking to see something that might support or reject her theory. So far, it was pretty inconclusive.

"—think Mikasa?"

"Hm?"

"Historical Landmark club," Sasha repeated.

"It's simple and straightforward," Armin said.

"Yes, good," Mikasa nodded. "Let's keep it."

"You forgot boring enough to put on a college application," Connie rolled his eyes.

"Exactly," Jean said.

"I'll take this to Mr. Morrison after school," Armin passed the papers around for them all to sign.

Mikasa received a text from him later that evening, confirming their new club's acceptance and a classroom for it.

Their first day was tomorrow.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

 ** _Please Review~_**


	3. Crush

**Chapter 3: Crush**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Evan apologies to Mikasa. She witnesses a fight between him and Keith. Wald dies, he was murdered. Mikasa and her friends form a club to look into his death.

* * *

"Missed," Jean smirked.

"Damn," Connie said.

"My turn!" Sasha eyed the target. Going through a few practice motions, she launched the paper ball. It sailed halfway across the classroom and landed in the blue recycle bin. "Yeah! Score for me!"

Mikasa added another mark under her name on the whiteboard. "First to five, Sasha wins." On the rest of the whiteboard were games of hangman, tic-tac-toe, and random doodles.

"Sweet victory," she danced.

"Damn, I was so close," Jean said.

"Guys," Armin pulled their attention, a notebook open before him to a blank page. "Maybe we should get back to work."

"Sure," Sasha slid into a seat beside him. "What were we doing again?"

"Well, nothing," he admitted. "We went on social media and watched videos for an hour and then took a break. We need to get working."

"Right," Connie nodded. "Now, how do we do that?"

"I've been looking at some places we could check out." Armin flipped a page back to the list he'd made with notes underneath. "Eventually we'll work our way up to Wald's house."

"Not gonna be easy though," Jean folded his arms, leaning against a desk. "It's a crime scene. They might even be keeping an eye on it. You know, the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime," he waved a hand.

"It's already been a week," Mikasa said. "They're probably gone by now."

"Anyone up for some B&E?" Connie grinned.

Jean rolled his eyes. "Stop trying to act cool. If we were going to do anything illegal, you would be the last to agree. You'd also be bitching the entire time through it."

"So, again, what's the plan?" Sasha asked. "We know we aren't doing anything illegal, we're all too chicken for that."

"I've been looking up the history of the Wald house and read a lot of articles about things that have happened there," Armin said.

"That sounds juicy," Connie leaned in.

"Turns out, it isn't the first murder to take place in the house."

"The real estate value must've plummeted," Jean said, eyes bright, receiving weird looks from Mikasa and the others. "What? Death is up there with mold as one of the cheapest ways to get a house."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow. "You'd live in that house?"

"I could use all the money I'd save buying such a cheap place to completely renovate it." He looked pleased with himself.

Sasha shivered. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night."

"How about we start off with the lighthouse?" Mikasa suggested. "We can't go to the brewery for obvious reasons."

"We can go to the waterfall after that and then the old church. Work our way up, you know, to the ones with the most history," Armin said.

"The biggest one is Blackthorne Manor," Connie said longingly. "I bet we could charge people to look at pictures of the inside of Dracula's manor."

"Now that would be a real score," Sasha nodded. "Hey Mikasa, do you think you could get us in?"

"How would I do that?"

"Because you're friends with Evan."

"Um, no, we just sort of nod at each other in the hallway. Sometimes."

"The guy doesn't really have friends," Jean frowned. "He hangs out with a few guys here at school and occasionally meets them after school to study at the library."

"He's an amazing athlete," Armin nodded. "He's could easily be a star at any sport he chose. It's a little strange that he never even bothered for tryouts."

"I think he did, for basketball, since soccer tryout were already over. The coach wanted him on varsity but he refused," Connie said.

"Do you know why?" Mikasa asked casually, having an idea about why.

"I think they had a fight, don't know what about," he shrugged.

"I heard about that," Sasha nodded. "No one really knows what it was about but the rumors kinda died down since they've been getting along okay."

"Why are we talking about Evan? Who cares about him?" Jean scowled, standing up. "Let's get back to us. Why we formed this club, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean our basket ball team's been sucking lately. They had such a strong start too."

"Connie, since when are you into sports?"

"I'm not. But I am into school spirit. Go Lions!" He waved his fist half-heartedly.

"C'mon Jean," Sasha rested her face in the palm of her hand. "We liked the _idea_ of investigating a murder and uncovering clues and secrets and all that. But let's face it, actually getting up and working, looking into an ongoing murder investigating isn't really all that fun."

"It can be! Only if we get off our asses and actually do it," he insisted.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Mikasa asked.

Jean faltered. "I-I don't know. But I'll figure it out."

"We should stick with Mikasa's plan," Armin said. "We can start there. Everyone one in agreement?"

"Okay," Sasha shrugged.

"I'm in."

Mikasa nodded and Jean did as well.

"Then how about we visit the lighthouse this Saturday?" Armin proposed.

* * *

"Wow, all I can say is..." Connie looked around the rust-coated, off-white lighthouse. "...old."

"It's a little boring," Jean admitted.

"Try snooze fest," Sasha said.

"The place itself is dull," Armin looked down the hole in the middle of the tower as they walked down the spiral stairs. "But the stories are cool. Like how once a month, during a full moon, you can hear piano music. When it was built, a piano teacher actually drowned here. And a couple committed suicide here because they weren't allowed to be married. And this woman, a florist, who was murdered by her abusive husband liked to come here for peace and quiet. Apparently when she's trying to warn you of danger you can smell the scent of roses."

"It'd be interesting if we got some quotes from people who've smelled roses," Mikasa said.

"I got plenty of pictures," Sasha held up her camera. "Wanna call it a day? I have to study for a history quiz on Monday."

"Yeah, I have an essay to do, too," Connie sighed. "I really don't want to do it."

"Home then?" Jean asked. "I have a ton of homework, too."

Armin nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"Actually, I need to pick up some dry cleaning. Can you drop me off? My dad's gonna come pick me up from there," Mikasa said.

"Sure thing."

The sun was setting, casting orange rays across the sky, shadows lengthening in response. Mikasa picked up her mom's dress, signing the receipt and settling in one of the chairs. The seating gave her a good view out the large window. But at that time of day, most of the people were indoors, enjoying a meal with their families and she opted to pass time playing games on her phone instead. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed. A text from her dad stating he would be there within fifteen minutes. Mikasa gave her surrounding a perfunctory look. Movement outside the window, in the alley across the street, caught her attention. She leaned forward, squinting, trying to make out the shapes.

Lips pressing together, she did some mental calculations and stood up. "Excuse me," she approached the elderly woman behind the counter. "I'm going to step out for some fresh air. Can I leave this here till then?"

"Of course, dear."

"Thank you."

She stepped outside the small building and crossed the street, checking for cars. Mikasa could easily make out a feminine voice amidst the group of masculine voices. Part of her mind whispered to her, telling her to call the cops. A larger part screamed at her to act now.

* * *

 _Damn, did she say Strawberry Banana or Strawberry Cheesecake?_ He looked between the two flavors. _I'll get both. They're on sale anyway_. He walked to the check-out counter and placed the two containers on the shelf. "Hi, Evan," the cashier smiled at him.

He blinked. "Uh..."

"I'm Callie, we're in the same literature class."

"Oh," his green eyes lit up. "Right, you sit next to me," Evan nodded.

"Sweet tooth?" Callie scanned the ice-cream containers.

"No, they're for someone else. I couldn't remember exactly which flavor she asked for so I figured best to get both."

"Aw, how cute." She sighed, "Wish I had a boyfriend who was sweet enough to run out and buy me ice-cream when I had cravings. Your total is $3.18."

"It's more so out of self-preservation." He handed over a single bill. "She gets rather irritable in situations like these when she asks for one thing but you get the wrong one."

"Here you go," Callie handed him the change.

"Thanks."

"See you Monday!"

Evan nodded, leaving the store. He checked his watch. It was almost eight and he was getting hungry. He wasn't in the mood to get back home on foot but contemplated the chances of getting back faster if he called a cab. _Nope, running is faster_. He calmly started walking down the street. Movement caught his eye and he turned to see a familiar figure walking determinedly toward the alley.

 _What is she doing?_ His gaze followed her line of sight. Then he realized what was happening and followed her from a distance. Evan quickly scaled the small brick building and watched from the rooftop. He was curious to see how it would play out, ready to step in if necessary.

"Leave her alone," Mikasa said in a strong voice.

The four creeps stopped and the young woman took the chance to slip away. One tried to grab her but she shoved him.

"Go," Mikasa told her. The woman had a conflicted look on her face. "It's alright. I can handle these generic thugs on my own." The confidence in her voice assured the woman and she quickly left. The man who had tried to grab her lunged after her but Mikasa stepped in and kneed him in the groin, then elbowed him sharply in the face when he doubled over in pain. He fell to the ground, face covered in blood. "Next," she waved her hand lazily and Evan grinned.

The other three men stared at her nervously before becoming angry to hide their fears. _Typical_. He snorted.

"You little bitch! You're gonna—"

"Yes, yes, I know you want to make your generic speech about me regretting what I just did but let me save us both time and let's get this over with. My mom's making my favorite today and I don't want to be late for dinner."

Evan chuckled.

Their faces turned red at being dismissed so casually. The bald one ran at her, promptly getting a roundhouse kick to the head. His face went slack and his body followed.

"What's the matter? Not feeling so tough now?" Mikasa taunted.

"Do you know who we are?" The taller of the two with the bad buzzcut sneered at her, hand going to his jacket.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Evan muttered, rolling his eyes. Mikasa was right, they were so generic and stereotypical it was pitiful.

"Oh, I know who you are," she rolled her eyes. Mikasa stepped forward, making them tense. "I suppose it wouldn't take much to scare a _bunch of weaklings_ who need to gang up on a girl in a dark alley to get it up." The blond-haired man snarled and ran at her, arms swinging. She ducked and a quick, powerful jab to his solar plexus had him on his knees.

Evan moved past her and slammed his fist into Buzzcut's face. He was out old on the ground. He looked up and froze, catching her reflection in the window to his right. He quickly turned to her.

Mikasa's eyes, wide in shock, were now on the gun next to the unconscious man, her heart skipping a beat. She noticed the third idiot who had come at her was clutching his stomach, still conscious, and promptly brought her heel down on the back of his neck.

"Aren't you a total badass," Evan smirked.

"Thanks," she said to him, heart still pounding.

He shrugged. "It was nothing."

"He had a gun."

"I'm sure you could have handled it just fine." Evan's eyes then widened and he checked on his ice-cream containers. "Phew, they're okay." He glanced at her. "What do you wanna do with this lot? I think the lady you saved has probably called the police by now."

Mikasa gave the groaning men on the ground a glare before walking away. "Right. We'll leave them here for the cops."

Evan followed her. "Yeah, I gotta head home now. Hey, if you decide to come forward, leave me out of it, okay? You can have all the credit."

Mikasa paused, eyeing him curiously. "Why?"

"I didn't do it for fame." He shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "'Sides, I already have a fan club."

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. I didn't do it for the fame either."

"See you around then, Ackerman."

* * *

Mikasa entered the dry cleaner's and retrieved her mother's dress. She checked the time and was surprised to see less than six minutes had passed. Her dad showed up half a minute later, and she kept quiet about what had happened, mind occupied by Evan's sudden appearance and disappearance.

When the news was on that night, her parents looked at her in worry. "Did you see anything, honey?" Mrs. Ackerman asked. "It happened right across the street from where you were!"

Mikasa paused. "No, nothing," she shook her head. "I didn't see anything. I was playing on my phone."

"I'm sure if she had, she'd have helped that girl put those thugs in their places," Mr. Ackerman said.

"Of course," Mikasa replied without hesitation.

It was difficult, not telling even her best friend but she wanted to respect Evan's privacy and kept quiet.

Later that night, she dreamt of a pair of smoldering eyes.

* * *

"Did you guys hear what happened over the weekend?" Armin asked.

Sasha turned excitedly to her best friend. "Are you the one who kicked those losers' asses?"

"If I'd seen that, I would have gone and helped that girl," Mikasa lied.

"You can tell us," Connie leaned in, grinning. "We won't tell anyone. It'd be cool if I was hanging out with a vigilante."

She rolled her eyes. "You watch too much TV."

"What're the chances," Jean teased, "a girl came to that woman's rescue right across the street where you, a martial artist, were waiting?"

Mikasa knew she had to give them something equally enticing to change the subject or they weren't going to stop. "It wasn't me. You can even ask Evan if you don't believe me."

"Evan?" Sasha perked up.

"Evan?" Jean made a face at the same time.

"Yes, I ran into him."

"What happened?" Sasha asked hungrily.

"He said hi and I said hello. He had ice-cream and we talked about different flavors we liked and then he left. Then my dad came and we went home."

"What? That's it? How could you let such a golden opportunity slip away?"

 _Success_. Mikasa smirked internally. "What're you talking about?"

"You should've asked him to stay with you because it was dark and you didn't want to be alone."

 _"Aren't you a total badass."_

Her stomach fluttered at those words. "Don't be silly. I was going into the dry cleaner's. They had chairs inside. I could sit and wait there." It galled her to think about Evan seeing her as a damsel in distress with those green, green eyes of his. Mumbling an excuse before the interrogation could further and ditching them early, she went on her way to her next class when Sasha followed with a wide grin on her face.

"What's with your face?"

"Nothing."

"Sure."

"Okay, fine," Sasha said. She looked around, making sure no one would overhear in the mostly empty hallway and leaned in. "You like Evan."

"What?" Her voice pitched. "That's ridiculous!"

"Then why did you look so offended earlier when I said you should've—"

"Pretended to be a damsel in distress? And you don't think it was the suggestion itself that offended me?"

"You also had a dazed look on your face for a second when you were talking about him. And don't think I didn't notice you subtly checking the cafeteria for him."

Mikasa started walking faster. "I have to—"

"It's okay, you know," Sasha smiled. "Just because you like the guy half the girls in school have a crush on doesn't make you some silly airhead." Mikasa felt her face warm as her best friend hit the nail on the head. "You're not one of those stupid giggling girls that fawn over a guy just cause he's good-looking."

"He is cute," she admitted. Beyond cute. He was also brave, heroic, humble, and adorable with dogs. Not that she could tell the other girl about the heroism and the modesty. "I barely know him. I can't just—"

Sasha chucked. "Jeez, Mikasa, you're not marrying the guy, just admitting you like him."

"It's not logical."

"You're a normal, _hormonal_ sixteen-year-old girl. You've just never acted like one before. You've always been super in control."

"Stupid hormones," she muttered. Her rational side still couldn't accept how fast she went from feeling neutral about a boy to liking him. It just didn't seem sensible. How could it happen to her without her even knowing?

"It's high school, the supposedly best part of our lives, so roll with it and savor it."

Mikasa sighed loudly, and said quietly. "I guess it's just a harmless crush. It'll pass."

"You're acting like it's a cold you're going to get over. Crushes are fun! Enjoy it!"

Mikasa was already regretting her words even though they hadn't passed through her lips yet. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"I am glad you asked." Sasha pulled out her phone. "Let's have a meeting at your house tomorrow and make plans. That'll give me time to investigate and then we'll begin by studying the subject in detail."

* * *

Mikasa sat on the bed with Sasha, door locked, house empty, and snacks between them. She had to admit, it was kind of exciting. Sasha finished her cookie and opened up a folder, pulling out an awful drawing. "Is that supposed to be Evan?" Mikasa asked dubiously.

"He doesn't have any social media accounts so this was the best I could do," she shrugged. "Now let's study the target."

"Okay," she said in amusement.

Sasha pulled out another piece of paper. "His full name is Evan Michael Vicchelo. He's seventeen, an Aries, and most importantly, single. He lives with his cousin, Alexis, and her boyfriend Liam. She's probably the one who drops him off in the morning."

"He lives with his cousin?"

"His parents are dead. At least I think they are. He never talks about them. He never talks about his family, actually."

"Then how'd you find all this out?"

"Because I know Jordan, the student assistant in the administration office, and I offered to keep an eye out so he could go out for a smoke break while the staff was eating lunch in the staff room. I've had lunch with him before and I've seen him type the password into the computer so I knew what it was," Sasha beamed proudly. "Then I accessed his file."

"You looked into Evan's file?" Mikasa's eyes bulged. "This feels a little stalker-ish..."

"Yup, that's how I found his emergency contact." Sasha went on, unperturbed. "She had the same last name and under relationship, it said cousin. And you know how I told you my cousin's mom is the real estate agent who sold them the house? Her mom told her and she told me that the buyers were a couple and they had a teenage boy with them, whom the woman said was her cousin."

 _Why is he living with his cousin? What happened to his parents?_ Mikasa thought curiously.

"Evan has a dog," Sasha continued, "a husky named Luna, and he's very athletic. He lives at Blackthorne Manor just outside of town, meaning his family has deep pockets—not that you care about that. His grades are great, mostly A's and some B's, which I know you'll appreciate because it means he takes his studies seriously."

"Good," Mikasa nodded, pleased.

"He's not in any clubs or sports teams."

Mikasa's mind immediately flashed back to the argument she'd overheard. Could that have something to do with it? And perhaps the other incident too.

"That's what we have to work with," Sasha closed the folder. "Here's what I'm thinking—Mikasa, are you even listening?"

"Hm? Yeah. Sorry, go on."

"We'll start tomorrow in P.E., fate has presented us a great opportunity..."

* * *

 _ **Please Review~**_


	4. Misunderstanding

**Chapter 4: Misunderstanding**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Mikasa saves a young woman and Evan comes to help. Sasha's happy Mikasa is crushing on Evan and makes plans.

* * *

Mikasa felt nervous. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"It'll be fine. Don't be nervous," Sasha patted her shoulder. "Since we have a sub today, everyone will be slacking, except for like the four crazy exercise freaks." She shook her head like she couldn't believe how anyone could skip a free day like that. "Evan will be one of them. You're a gifted athlete—"

A trio of girls walked by, talking amongst each other. After they'd passed, she and best friend followed. Sasha not too subtly checked to see if anyone else was around. "Now remember, you have to get ahead, the others will stay at a moderately slow pace. Once you reach the turn near the Douglas fir, hide and wait for the other three to pass. Then come out and pretend to have pain in your ankle and stretch it out."

"What if he's faster than the others?"

"I'll run with him for a bit and let the others get ahead. Then I'll fall back and let him move on."

"This is a little crazy. What if you all show up when I'm in the middle of faking it? The guys are gonna be all over me. And what if they want to run along with me?"

"They're too lazy," Sasha waved her hand. "And I'll scream loudly in excitement or something once we get close so you'll have a warning."

"You thought of everything, didn't you? Maybe you should go into the military as a strategist or something."

"Nah, I'm not a morning person."

Outside, under the clear blue sky, boys and girls stood around in groups, dressed in sweatpants and thin jackets because of the chilly weather. The wind blew gently, gray clouds gathering in the sky. Butterflies danced in Mikasa's stomach. "He's already blown off so many girls."

"You're not most girls. Worst comes to worst, he'll tell you no."

The substitute teacher told them they would be doing a mix of jogging and fast walking on the trail. Mikasa and Sasha slowly walked toward Evan, getting closer to the dirt path disappearing into the forest to their right.

They stretched for a minute before two students took off. Mikasa followed quickly after. She continued on for two minutes before the third one passed her. Once she'd reached the curve, she sat on the large rock and clutched her ankle, feeling foolish. _This better work._ The rational part of her told her she was acting like a moron and it wasn't too late to back out.

Sasha's plan seemed to be working because she only heard one pair of feet crushing the ground before Evan appeared.

He slowed down and stood before her. "It's a spr—just a little pain," Mikasa blurted. He peered at her intently, silent. She couldn't help the cold feeling in her chest. "It, uh," she mumbled, unable to shake off the feeling of intimidation. _Say something, you idiot!_ She screamed internally for choking. "I just—"

"Klutz," he said. Evan then took off running, leaving Mikasa behind, gaping like a fish.

Sasha was the next person to come up to find her frozen in her spot, mouth open, and asked. "So, uh, how'd it go?" She asked in fake optimism, probably figuring from her facial expression that it had gone the opposite of well.

Mikasa jumped to her feet, embarrassed. "He called me a klutz and ran off!"

"Wait!" Sasha tried to keep up with her quick pace but failed.

Mikasa was too worked up to listen to her assurances, slowing once Sasha had stopped giving chase, nervous about catching up with Evan.

Evan. She perfectly recalled the sneer on his handsome face as he'd looked down on her. She took great pride in staying fit and was very insulted, cursing herself for letting her best friend talk her into such a dumb plan. _The bastard!_ She fumed, face red, ego bruised.

It had taken Evan a blank stare and one word to reduce her to the same level as the air-headed bimbos she looked down on.

She couldn't believe she'd turned into one herself over some hot douchebag. _I've never been so humiliated in my life!_

Needless to say, Mikasa was in a sour mood as they waited outside the boys locker room for their friends. Because the universe wasn't done screwing her just yet, Evan had to come out before her friends. "Hey, easy day today, huh?" Sasha asked casually.

He ignored her, eyeing Mikasa up and down. Evan snorted and walked away, offering only one word once again: "Liar."

Mikasa's face burned. She was utterly mortified. Sasha laughed nervously beside her. "He probably figured out the trick and got mad." Armin and the guys chose that moment to come out.

"What's wrong?" Connie asked. Mikasa didn't answer, walking away, leaving Sasha to make up some excuse to cover for her.

* * *

Mikasa was in a funk for the rest of the day. For the first time in her life, she had a crush on a guy. And she had ended up humiliating herself in front of him.

"It'll be fun, she said. Enjoy it, she said." Mikasa stared ahead, expression dark, unable to keep the memories from replaying over and over in her mind, chipping away at her dignity bit by bit.

Fortunately, whatever Sasha had told the boys had mercifully kept Armin from trying to talk to her. The bell rang and she quickly gathered her things and swung her backpack around her shoulders.

One last class and then she could go home and scream into her pillow and give in to her disgrace.

Around her, students continued to converse. She ignored them but couldn't block a particularly shrill voice coming from behind her.

"...came forward. My mom's an exec, you know, so I know."

Mikasa didn't have to turn around to know Courtney had just tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"She was running an errand and saw those creeps harassing that woman. She does a lot of kickboxing and yoga and stuff so she beat them up and left because she had to get back to her sick brother."

It couldn't be. Mikasa's eyes widened. Taking out her phone, she quickly used the school's wifi to get on the internet. The teacher came in and began taking attendance. Thankfully, she was the first name called and easily spent the next minute checking out the local news stations. _Yup, this is it._

She was even more eager for the end of the period now. For once, she turned into one of the students she disliked who started packing up before the time was up, making it hard for her to hear the teacher. It was easy to track Evan down, following him as he passed by her locker on his way out the building's side entrance.

Mikasa dashed after him, shouldering some of the students, muttering apologies. "Evan," she called after him once they were outside and in the faculty parking lot. He kept walking, past the cars and to the grassy lot with the baseball field sitting to the right behind the chainlink fence. She called after him again and saw his shoulders stiffen before he stopped, turning around and pulling out his earphones. "I need to talk to you."

"I have to get home. I can't—"

"It wasn't me," she blurted. "I just heard. I guess some girl came forward and claimed she was the one who beat up those thugs and saved that woman. But it wasn't me." Mikasa looked him in the eyes, not backing down as he stared unflinching down at her. She wasn't the type to be unnerved so easily but something about him prickled at her at times like this, when their eyes made contact and a small part of her felt unexplainably wary.

Then he relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders. "I believe you."

She exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath, surprised. "Really? Just like that?"

"I like to think I'm good at reading people," he shrugged. "I should've known it wasn't you. I figured since you ignored my existence in the interview, I'd return the favor."

 _So he has been giving me the cold shoulder_. The frosty expression from earlier hadn't been her imagination. "Did you check it out? The article? It wasn't my name. It was dark and that woman didn't get a good look at my face and didn't realize that girl wasn't me."

Evan had the grace to look embarrassed. "No, I heard it from a classmate and—"

"Took it at face value."

"Yeah, pretty stupid now that you mention it."

They stood in awkward silence.

"I'm sorry," Evan sighed. "Once again, I misunderstood and acted like an ass."

"Yes, a stupid ass."

He grinned at that. "Next time, if something like this happens again, I promise I'll take your side. Wait, so if it wasn't you, why were you acting so strange earlier today in P.E.?"

"I guess I kinda picked up your weird mood and just," she shrugged lamely. _You couldn't come up with a better lie than that?_

"Oh." Evan seemed to buy it.

"I have to meet my friends now," Mikasa announced. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see ya."

* * *

The end of the day couldn't come soon enough.

Tension he didn't know he still had loosened as he stepped into the house. Sliding into his slippers, he followed his nose to the cream-colored kitchen with dark cupboards and a tiled floor. _Petra's home._ His guess was right and his eyes zero-ed in on the ginger-haired woman in skinny jeans and a white lace top. More importantly, what she'd just pulled out of the oven and held between her oven mitts.

"Eren," she smiled, "good timing."

 _It's weird how normal it feels to be Evan to the outside world and Eren at home,_ he thought. With months of practice, he'd gotten used to both names and switching between the slightly different personalities of each. "That smells so good." His mouth watered.

"I had the day off and I thought I'd make some banana bread."

He reached out and got his hand slapped.

"It's too hot. Wait for it to cool down."

"Sorry, Mom," he rolled his eyes.

"So," Petra waved a gloved hand over the steaming treat to help it cool faster, "how was school?"

Eren sighed, "I've been taking your advise and trying to be friendlier and all that. It's a lot of effort you know."

"People won't be as quick to jump to conclusions if they know you better."

He nodded, "I don't think anyone believes any weird things about us. Or most don't. Some crazy ones are still convinced I'm a creature of the night." She snorted at that. "I've been trying to be a 'normal' high school student. We don't need some Becky the Vampire Slayer wannabe breaking in and trying to stake us in our sleep."

"It's not Becky."

"Becky, Betty, same difference," Eren waved his hand. "And we definitely don't need a Belle trying to find her Edwin. Gross," he shuddered.

"It's not—never mind." Petra shook her head before repeating words he'd heard a hundred times already. "The point is, we have to be normal. Or at least make people think we are. We can't attract attention." The very reason they'd changed identities was to fly under the radar.

Having the entire town thinking they were a family of vampires was the very opposite of incognito.

"Yeah, I know." Eren snorted, "But if anyone here could be mistaken for a blood-sucking leech, and rightly so, it'd be Levi."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Petra giggled. She took a bottle of chocolate sauce and the milk out of the fridge. Eren's eyes followed her hands the entire time, pouring a glass of milk, cutting up slices of banana bread, and adding the sweet sauce. As soon as she was done, he was stuffing his face.

"Ah lubv jugh."

"Swallow first, then talk," she chided.

Taking a big sip of milk, he swallowed and grinned, "I said I love you."

She was in a good mood. He figured now was his best chance. "I have to tell you something," Eren began cautiously, stomach in knots.

Then a bark came from behind, followed by a black and silver body running into the kitchen. Walking after the dog was a man dressed in black jeans and a collared black shirt. Levi took a seat next to Eren at the barstool. Petra nudged a plate toward him. Next, she filled up the doggy bowl. "How was the walk?"

"Fine. She's very hyper."

"That's good, though. More energy means more exercise."

"Yeah," Levi nodded, glancing at the husky. "She needs it, too. We've been careful about feeding her but she's starting to go a little round around the edges."

Eren's mouth was conveniently full of banana bread to speak.

Petra turned her attention to him and he wondered if she suspected he was the one giving Luna one too many doggy treats. Or five. "Eren, you said you had something to say?"

And suddenly, being scolded for messing with their beloved pet's diet didn't seem so bad.

He swallowed, sitting straighter. "Now," he held up a hand, "don't freak out."

That immediately put them on edge.

 _Okay, not the best way to start a conversation when you don't want people to panic_. Eren thought.

"What happened?" Levi demanded.

"Nothing! I swear! I waited three days to make sure—"

"Something happened and you kept it to yourself?" Petra frowned in disapproval.

"I wanted to take care of it myself. It's fine. We're fine. There was this girl—Mikasa, remember?—I thought maybe she saw my eyes but she didn't. It's okay."

"You let it out in front of her?" Levi hissed. "Don't you ever learn, brat?!"

"She was in trouble and I was trying to help and—" Eren took a breath. "Nevermind, let me start over."

This time, he explained the situation properly: how he had been walking home when he saw a classmate rushing into an alley. He'd kept an eye on the situation to make sure she didn't get hurt. He hadn't rushed in until his eyes had caught the shape of the thing the man had in his jacket. No matter her skill, he wasn't sure she was going to get away unharmed so he'd stepped in to help.

"My adrenaline was pumping and when I saw the gun, it happened. The idiot was too focused on his gun and I punched him right in the face when he looked up. I saw her reflection in the window and she froze. She looked a little confused when I turned but didn't say anything, more focused on the gun on the ground. She hasn't been acting much differently since then."

"You're sure, Eren?" Petra didn't look pissed and he felt safe. At least she was on his side.

"Yes," he nodded.

"We should leave," Levi said unhappily. "Better not to risk it." Eren's heart fell at his words. "Don't give me that look. It's one of our rules. It's how we've survived."

Petra shook her head, "It's the longest we've stayed in a place. And it's a good place. We put a lot of effort and money into this."

"Bailing now is too paranoid." Eren quieted when Levi glared at him. Luna seemed to sense his somber mood and vied for his attention. He petted her half-heartedly.

"Paranoia is what's kept us alive."

"I want to be sure before we decide to skip town," Petra said.

"She didn't get a good look, did she?" Levi asked.

"No," Eren shook his head vigorously, "it was less than a second."

Petra nodded. "Even if she did, I doubt she'd have jumped to 'crazy' conclusions. People tend to dismiss things out of the ordinary, coming with a rational explanation first, thinking it was their imagination or a trick of the light or the trauma of the event."

Levi crossed his arms. "I still don't like it."

"We'll check her social media page and her friends' as well."

"Already did that," Eren said quickly. "She doesn't use it much and her friends have the normal crap on their pages. I've even eavesdropped on them a few times," he admitted, "when they were having their little club meetings. They only care about Wald's murder like the rest of silly cliques at school."

Levi and Petra were quiet, absorbing the information.

Eren had been dreading telling them about the article that had come out that afternoon, nervous and pissed at himself for screwing up yet again. The past few days, Eren had kept an eye on things, trying to be an adult and making sure that nothing that could hurt them leaked out. "There's something else..."

"There's more?" Levi looked ready to throttle him.

He told them about the liar who had claimed credit while Mikasa kept quiet. Surprisingly, they didn't freak out about the interview.

"We're safe," Eren insisted. No one knew what they were. Sane, normal people wouldn't believe stories about glowing eyes. Especially coming from a girl whose mind had been racing, having been attacked in a dark alley. He really, really didn't want to mess it all up for them again.

"Okay," Petra finally said. She looked at Levi.

"We'll stay," he finally nodded. "I didn't want to yet but I'll call a friend and have him check into their activities."

"It has been a while," she said. They hadn't wanted to risk too much communication in fear of being discovered.

Eren looked relieved.

"But you're still in trouble for not telling us when it happened." Of course Levi wasn't going to let it go.

Eren could feel the long lecture coming and after the stressful day he'd had, he wasn't in the mood to sit and listen to them berate him for an hour and a half. "Since you're already mad I might as well confess to another crime: I've been feeding Luna one too many doggy treats and that's why she's getting fat."

"Eren!" Petra scolded.

"Sorry." He then looked to the dog staring accusingly at him. "But it's her fault, too. She knows I can't resist her puppy-dog face and takes advantage of me."

Luna turned said puppy-dog eyes on the adults, getting pats and ear scratches.

Topic safely averted, Eren attempted to sneak away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Levi's voice stopped him at only three steps.

"I, uh, have a lot of homework to do."

"I don't think so."

* * *

"Good morning," Petra said cheerfully, sitting at the head of the table.

Eren slowly lowered himself into the chair to her left. "Levi's gone?"

"Yeah, he went to meet the accountant." She poured a glass of orange juice and pushed it toward him. Eren flipped over the plate and began piling up the food, wincing the entire time. "By the way, you have to help him with the garden today after school."

"What?" His shoulders slumped. "He kicked my ass yesterday under the pretense of 'training' and my ribs are still creaking. My arms and legs are ready to fall off too. And now I have to help him clean shit too?" He complained.

"That's your punishment. And watch your language."

"Why don't you just throw me under the bus?" Eren grumbled. Petra's expression became stern and he quickly spoke, "I know I have it coming." He still just wanted to complain a little.

"Glad to hear that." Petra smiled charmingly. "Because Levi and I talked last night—"

"Oh." His stomach fell. That was never good.

"—and we want you to befriend Mikasa and her friends."

"What?" Eren stared, eyes wide in shock.

Petra sighed and put her coffee down. "Eren, we planned long and hard to make sure our stay here would be long-term and safe. Instead of risking sneaking into five different homes in the kind of areas with a neighborhood watch, it'd be easier if you befriended them and invited them over. We can hack their computers to make sure we're in the clear and it'll help dispel rumors about our supposedly haunted house/vampire den." She smiled in amusement at the last bit.

Eren looked unsure. "Befriend them?"

"Yes."

He shrugged casually, "I gave up trying to make friends after what happened that time."

Petra's face softened. "You'll be fine. You helped Mikasa out, so it shouldn't be too difficult to approach them. It'll be okay."

"I don't know. What'll we talk about? I never really went out of my way to be nice to them or anything—"

"Don't overthink it," she patted his hand. "You've been keeping your classmates at an arm's length. You need to leave your shell now and approach them."

"You make me sound like a turtle, hiding in his shell," he snorted.

"You have various interests. Sports, video games, movies, TV shows, and all that. I'm sure you'll find some common ground."

Eren perked up. "I do know they're interested in Old Man Wald's murder."

"Eren—"

"Don't worry, they aren't the type to do anything illegal. They even admit it to themselves a lot. The other groups pretend like they would but they're just full of shit." He stared into space thoughtfully. "They made a club and I can join if I want. Actually," his eyes lit up, "it's the Historical Landmark club. Our house, this place, Blackthorne Manor, is a historical landmark, isn't it?"

"Yes, we had to sign some agreements not to build, rebuild, or replace certain parts, like windows or stories. Basically anything that would compromise the aesthetic structure of the house."

"Yeah," Eren nodded. "That's good. I can use that!"

"Now finish up your breakfast and get your backpack. I don't want you to be late for school."

* * *

 _He was reluctant at first, but he's excited now._ Petra thought happily. Everyone his age should have friends. She was glad it didn't take much to convince him. Much as he wanted to make friends, their nomadic lifestyle made that difficult. _He stopped trying completely after—_

"Thanks for the ride," Eren opened the door and stepped out.

"I'd say good luck but you don't need it."

He rolled his eyes but grinned nonetheless, eyes twinkling.

* * *

Squaring his shoulders, becoming Evan once more, he strode through the school halls. When lunch time came, he clutched his tray and scanned the cafeteria for them. _Where are they?_ At the right exit, he saw Jean's head disappear. _They're sitting outside._

Evan followed, giving them a minute to settle, and taking that minute to calm his own nerves. Shoving down his anxiety, he took the plunge.

Armin was the first to notice him. "Oh, hello."

"Hey," he greeted, trying not to exert too much force and break the blue tray in his hands. _You've been shot at by gun-toting manics. They're just high school students!_ He nodded, "Uh, mind if I sit with you?"

"Of course!" Sasha patted the soft grass next to her. "What's up?"

"Well," Evan smiled sheepishly, "I have to join a club. Looks good on a college application and all that. So..."

"Why not the basketball team?" Jean made a face. "Or soccer? You'd be really good. I've seen you in gym class."

"I wanna focus on my studies," he shrugged. "I'm sorry. I know it's kind of an unspoken rule that when a group of friends make a club you shouldn't join but—"

"Don't be silly! We'd love to have you!" Sasha interrupted.

"Really?" Evan's eyes lit up. _I didn't even have to use my trump card._

"Of course," Armin said. "More members mean more brainpower and distribution."

"Meaning a little less work for each of us," Connie grinned.

"Thanks guys," Evan beamed.

He didn't have to struggle to come up with a topic to keep from falling into uncomfortable silence when Armin, bless the dear boy, asked, "Did you read the chapter for Grahn's class?"

"Yeah," he made a face. "I don't like the book. Just because it's a classic doesn't mean it's good. I did kinda crappy on the essay so I need to get at least eight-five to cover for that."

"Shouldn't be too hard. His quizzes are pretty straight forward," Connie said.

A few more minutes of small talk consisting of complaining about teachers and assignments, he decided to take his leave. "Well, anyway, I have to go return a book." Evan picked up his tray and stood. "Thanks for letting me join." They barely knew each other and he didn't feel quite comfortable yet, spending the entire lunch period with them. "I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Sasha said loudly, waving like everyone, except for Jean, who gave a small nod.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" Sasha squealed. "I can't believe he joined our club!"

"Why did you say it was okay?" Jean complained.

"C'mon man, he's new and barely has any friends."

"Connie, you're only saying that because he's popular with the girls so you want to be friends with him."

"That's not the only reason! I'm not that shallow!"

"It doesn't matter. Evan has every right to join," Mikasa said. "We can't say no just because we want it to be only the five of us. We'd get in trouble."

"And who knows, maybe he'll invite us to his place." Armin's words did the trick.

"That would so wicked!" Connie popped a grape in his mouth. "We'd be the first people in school to see the Blackthorne Manor!"

"It's got a rich history and it's an architectural masterpiece." Mikasa was eager to explore such an exquisite piece of history and art.

"Maybe he has a pool!" Sasha's eyes were lit up. "It'd be so nice to hang out there in the summer," she smiled dreamily.

"And since there will be six of us, we can finally break into teams evenly without one person having to sit out," Armin added.

Mikasa stood up, "I have a class with Evan later. I'll go print a form for him now and give it to him then."

 _He's joining the club. What does that mean?_ Her mind raced. Did he like her? Did he want to be close to her? He could've joined any team or club of his choosing, yet he had chosen theirs. _Stop overthinking it._ _You're starting to sound like Sasha_. Still, she couldn't deny the thrill that shot through her body.

* * *

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